This invention pertains to lacing systems for shoes and boots especially high top athletic, work and hiking boots that are currently extremely popular. Such boots include a pair of flaps in which openings are formed longitudinally therealong such that when the flaps are positioned in opposition to each other and an elongated lacing member which is threaded across the opening therebetween and when tightened, the flaps will move closer together to assume the desired comfortable fit and tightness of the wearer. The lacing is then tied or otherwise fixed in position to maintain the desired snugness and support. Generally, the flap openings are fitted with eyelets or guides, e.g., metal or plastic grommets, to reduce the friction between the lacing and the flap openings and to prevent excessive wear to the flaps and/or lacings. Some current boot designs also utilize triangular or other open shaped clasps or hooks that are fixed to the upper surface of the flaps as by sewing and through which the lacing is passed in the normal crisscross fashion.
These aforementioned lacing systems display a number of shortcomings in that these lacing systems tend to produce fairly high frictional forces between the inner surfaces of the grommets or clasps and the lacing itself. Particularly in the case of irregularly shaped guides, these lacing systems force the lacing against the same surface area during the tightening action and thus tend to increase wear on the lacing especially if the contact surface is at all rough or has an irregularity such as a break or chip. Grommets and eyelets also restrict the diameter of the lacing available for use.
Accordingly, it would be desirable if the forces between the guides and lacing could be of a shape that would permit the lacing to contact a greater portion of the guide itself and to form the eyelet of a shape that even further reduces the frictional contact between the lacing and the inner contact surface of the guide regardless of the guide's geometric configuration.
Another desirable feature would be to reduce or eliminate the sliding contact between the lacing and the upper flap surfaces thus contributing to a desirable feature of being able to tighten the lacing and thus the flaps by pulling directly upward without having to readjust the spacing and tension between oppositely positioned guides mounted on or otherwise attached to the flaps.
These and other objects of the invention are accomplished by the provision of guides that include both a generally semicircular lacing contact surface area and which are additionally circular in cross-section.
Still further objects of the invention are accomplished by providing guides of overall U-shaped configuration having legs and a central lacing engagement surface of essentially semicircular configuration and wherein each such guide is oriented in a plane positioned normal to the flap to which the guide is connected such that the central surface projects into the flap spacing area thus minimizing and/or eliminating the contact between the lacing and the flaps.
Further objects of the invention are also accomplished by providing an improved lacing system for a shoe or boot having a tongue and a pair of closure flaps overlying said tongue wherein each of said flaps in turn having an inner edge wherein said inner edges are disposed in separated opposition to each other so as to define a variable width closure space, each of said flaps including a plurality of extended eyelets mounted in longitudinal separation thereon wherein said eyelets extend into said closure space, overlie said tongue and are positioned in lateral opposition to each other, each of said eyelets of an overall U-shaped configuration having a central semicircular portion defining a low friction inner surface lace engaging surface and a pair of leg portions each in turn terminating in a connector portion for connecting said eyelet to said flap, each of said eyelets formed from an integral length of wire or rod of circular cross-sectional configuration which is progressively bent and shaped to form the central and connector portions thereof, said system enabling a lacing having a longitudinal strand-like body and opposed ends to be crisscross threaded through said eyelets such that force applied to the lacing ends will enable the lacing body to smoothly engage the inner surface of said central portion and enable no snag tightening and loosening of said flaps.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.